How To Destroy Your Laptop In A Pinch

Attention cyber criminals, subversives, and ne’er-do-wells: place this handy sticker in the correct spot on your computer, just in case. Via DesignTaxi:

Your laptop, with all its sensitive data and/or ill-gotten gains, is about to be confiscated by the authorities, who are banging on the door. There’s no time to reformat it—you’ve got to destroy it, fast. This sticker will help you do just that, provided you’ve a drill by your side. (And which self-respecting cyber criminal wouldn’t?)

Meant to be placed directly above your laptop’s hard disk, the sticker sports a crosshair with which you can accurately destroy any digital evidence the cops are after.

Randy Sarafan, who created the stickers, advises to “research the build of your laptop and locate the position of your hard drive…The hard drive should look like a rectangular box with a centered circle somewhere upon it,” he said.

Stick the sticker’s drill guide slightly off center of the hard drive (see first image below) so that you’ll drill the platters instead of the motor.

Sounds like a nice way to die electrocuted. Imagine: cops outside your door and you do this thing and ZAAAP! the cops will be the last of your problems.

Curumim

Sounds like a nice way to die electrocuted. Imagine: cops outside your door and you do this thing and ZAAAP! the cops will be the last of your problems.

DownWithDumb

Really?!? There’s not a laptop on the planet that carries enough voltage to electrocute a person. Nevermind that you’d have to hit the battery instead of the drive for that to even be a consideration _and_ the current would have to arc through your drill (which has significant insulation if you’re not using a handcranked model).

The_Baffler

Cool story bro

Richard Fields

At least he had something useful to say, you cretin.

The_Baffler

Really cool story bro.

Curumim

Really!!! A guy that name hinself with “DownWithDumb” and don’t understand the meaning of a joke!!

DownWithDumb

Really?!? There’s not a laptop on the planet that carries enough voltage to electrocute a person. Nevermind that you’d have to hit the battery instead of the drive for that to even be a consideration _and_ the current would have to arc through your drill (which has significant insulation if you’re not using a handcranked model).

Anonymous

Cool story bro

DigitalVendetta

It’s much quicker to just throw it in the microwave and turn it one for 1 min, it fries the platters in just a few seconds lol.

DigitalVendetta

It’s much quicker to just throw it in the microwave and turn it one for 1 min, it fries the platters in just a few seconds lol.

Richard Fields

At least he had something useful to say, you cretin.

Anonymous

cool story bro

http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

Cute and maybe even a good conversation starter, but you’d be better off with a discreet spot of nail polish or sharpie marker. A sticker like that would be prima facia proof of intent to destroy evidence, which could open up a big ugly can of legal worms if something did go down.

Which reminds me, I should probably go scrape those ‘Car Wars’ Kill Stickers off the old Ford. Ahh… the follies of youth.

http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

Cute and maybe even a good conversation starter, but you’d be better off with a discreet spot of nail polish or sharpie marker. A sticker like that would be prima facie proof of intent to destroy evidence, which could open up a big ugly can of legal worms if something did go down.

Which reminds me, I should probably go scrape those ‘Car Wars’ Kill Stickers off the old Ford. Ahh… the follies of youth.

The_Baffler

I had thought something along the same lines. A random looking scuff or scratch would be even more difficult to prove.

Anonymous

Really cool story bro.

Anonymous

I had thought something along the same lines. A random looking scuff or scratch would be even more difficult to prove.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4K3KM67XITZTXUE45K42KS4OEE brian

Ah….finally some good advice for the budding pedophile pornographer! ……..Not that I am one…….really…….I’m gonna shut up now.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_4K3KM67XITZTXUE45K42KS4OEE brian

Ah….finally some good advice for the budding pedophile pornographer! ……..Not that I am one…….really…….I’m gonna shut up now.

Anonymous

Why not keep all proprietary information on a solid state USB or Memory Card? You can buy a 64 gig USB for about 100 Bucks just load it with a copy of whatever operating system you prefer set your BIOS to Boot from the Stick and set it to the primary drive. Bam problem solved.

pixelbrine2

Why not keep all proprietary information on a solid state USB or Memory Card? You can buy a 64 gig USB for about 100 Bucks just load it with a copy of whatever operating system you prefer set your BIOS to Boot from the Stick and set it to the primary drive. Bam problem solved.

Guest

yeah but why pay extra money for something you would likely destroy? i suppose it is cheaper to destroy a 100 dollar usb stick than drilling into your laptop… i guess you could just run your OS and store all your incriminating evidence online somewhere.. and make sure your computer doesn’t store history.. etc. I guess if it’s important to keep, you will find a way… or you will get used to losing all information all the time, constantly keeping your work space clean of all evidence. but obviously hackers have a lot of money to spend on technology to just throw it away.. hollywood has really made a lot of ppl stupid in this way.

Anonymous

It would take a whole extra 30 seconds to remove the hdd first in most models.

dumbsaint

It would take a whole extra 30 seconds to remove the hdd first in most models.

Curumim

Really!!! A guy that name hinself with “DownWithDumb” and don’t understand the meaning of a joke!!

Anonymous

Who keeps a drill right next to you in case the police want to take your HDD? If you’re that concerned, just encrypt the drive. They can’t get you on destroying evidence with encryption at least.

SF2K01

Who keeps a drill right next to you in case the police want to take your HDD? If you’re that concerned, just encrypt the drive. They can’t get you on destroying evidence with encryption at least.

Guest

If they really really wanted the data off of your hard drive, you’d better hope that the drill destroys the exact sectors they are looking for. If not, it is possible for them to retrieve data from a smashed or even melted drive.

Guest

If they really really wanted the data off of your hard drive, you’d better hope that the drill destroys the exact sectors they are looking for. If not, it is possible for them to retrieve data from a smashed or even melted drive.

Guest

yeah but why pay extra money for something you would likely destroy? i suppose it is cheaper to destroy a 100 dollar usb stick than drilling into your laptop… i guess you could just run your OS and store all your incriminating evidence online somewhere.. and make sure your computer doesn’t store history.. etc. I guess if it’s important to keep, you will find a way… or you will get used to losing all information all the time, constantly keeping your work space clean of all evidence. but obviously hackers have a lot of money to spend on technology to just throw it away.. hollywood has really made a lot of ppl stupid in this way.